Evolution Vs. Creation?

Question

For a long time now I have been debating which a believe in more. I was raised Presbyterian and was brought up to believe in Creationism. However now I am not so sure because I have just come to see so much evidence supporting evolution. I do believe in a divine power and the fact that something had to put life on our planet but am not so sure we were put here in our present form. I have never learned much about other religions views on life and would be interested in those. Also any reading material would be appreciated as well (have already read the bible). So any clearification on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thank You in advance!

Answer 1

There are many of people who believe in both and do not see one contradicting the other. It is the people who subscribe to a literal translation of the bible who have a problem with evolution.

Answer 2

Couple of thoughts...

How one views evolution or creation, depends on your point of view. Both molecules to man evolution and creation occurred in the past and neither can be observed today. Yes, small changes within a species can be observed, however this can not be extrapolated to molecules to man evolution, which is not observable, nor testable.

For instance - we have the fact that fossils exist (in the present). The evolution view would say they were laid down over millions of years. Creation would say the majority were laid down during a global Flood of Noah's day. What does the evidence suggest? If they were laid down over millions of years, why isn't there soil disturbance between the layers, such as plant roots or worms? - Just a very brief example.

I understand your confusion - I have a zoology undergrad from a State University and I graduated very confusion as to what "science" said about evolution and what the Bible said about creation. As I dug further and starting asking questions I found that when the good scientific evidence is looked at carefully it can support a Creationist view point. A great resource I found was www.answersingenesis.org!

One more thought - the Bible says that sin brought death into the world (Genesis 2-3). It was man's choice to disobey God that separated us spiritually and for that reason we need Jesus, who restores and gives a future hope. Evolution says that through millions of years of death, disease, bloodshed and struggle we got to where we are. Two VERY different versions of history - we all have to choose where we will put our faith.

Answer 3

If you really want to learn, I would suggest reading about ancient world religions, such as the Sumerians. You can find the origns of Judaism, Christianity. You might also research Evolution, greenbeard hypothesis, speciation and isolation. It's not that the books others are suggesting aren't good, it's just that they are not objective.

Good luck to you! Always seek evidence! Never blindly follow.

Jakex: You have no idea what you're talking about. Creationism is a theory of gaps. (if you can't explain it, insert God did it) Evolution has mountains of evidence is FACT between 99% of biologists in the world. Darwins Theory is only a method of explaining how things work, not whether or not they actually do it. The great thing about science is that data can adapt when we understand things better. Science never stops trying to learn, where religion stopped 2000 years ago, before it even saved any tangible evidence. Which one takes more faith?

Answer 4

There is absolutely no evidence or proof of evolution. First of all, to have evidence there has to be a fact that precedes it. If a crime is committed then the crime is the fact. The evidence is the best made argument that is connected to the fact / crime. The pyramids are a fact because they exist. How they were built and why is the best supported argument connected to the fact of it's existence and therefore can be viewed as evidence. Dreams are facts. Without them we'd simply be in a state of unconsciousness, and everytime we slept, there would be a missing block of time the brain couldn't account for. Those loss blocks of time would build up and we wouldn't function properly. We would wake up not knowing if we even slept. We'd forget what we did yesterday and what we had to do today, and all our thoughts and memories would slip away from us. The process of evolution could not produce the method of dreams, nor could it predetermine the need for them. And the need had to be predetermined to the life in which it would aid. Which means, it took a logical thinking mind to determine the need, and a force beyond human comprehension to produce it. And God is the only evidence that can be connected to dreams which is the fact. Just as food whose only purpose is to be eaten. There would be no need for the earth to produce a source of food if there wasn't going to be life there to eat it. That means the earth had to be planned with a predetermined knowledge of life existing on it. And that makes creation the evidence that proves only God could know of what would be prior to it's being.

Answer 5

Consider this:

Science works, we have computers, space craft, knowledge of the universe, we even know the composition of atoms and their sub-parts.

Evolution is science, using the same methods, the same research and the same standards of evidence. If, you would rather trust your knowledge to men from over 2000 years ago, then fine. But realise that by doing so you are embracing ignorance through dogmatic pressure. Do not let the intellectual dishonesty of creationists muddle your thoughts, examine the evidence deeply and understand the facts and separate the propaganda (creationism). Also, you say you were raised Presbyterian, which means in part you were indoctrinated (as I was growing up). Do your religious views stem from true belief, or does it stem from being brought up to beleive what other wanted you to. I for one see religion as a mental virus that has been passed down for thousands of years, every generation has a different version of this virus and today it is becoming even more toxic for the rational mind. I for one have rid myself of this virus through critical thinking, skepticism, logic and the rigourous study of science. The more I learned about human history, the origin of religions and the very poor hypothesis for a god, I have become a very happy atheist. I suggest you always question your beliefs and challenge them, in the end you will feel much more clear in your choices about the world.

PEACE

Answer 6

Most people who think there is a contradiction between Science and Creation are New Earth Creationists (6000 yr old earth). There are numerous strong evidences that show an ancient universe, some 14 Billion years old with our earth over 4 billion years old. I find it hard to refute those claims yet still believe in Creation. The Genesis account listed God creating everything in 6 days but the original Hebrew word "yom" can be interpreted as meaning a 24 hr day, an era, or an undetermined "space of time". I believe the latter interpretation is probably correct. God created the universe and set nature in motion billions of years ago. The scriptures say that to God a day is as a 1000 years and a 1000 years is as a day meaning God is timeless, eternal. Many billions of years would seem like a few days to an eternal God.

Yet, I find it hard to accept man being created in the image of God yet evolutionists say we evolved from monkeys, lizards, pond scums etc, I really have a hard time accepting that. There are huge gaps in the evolution theory. Sure bits and peices of it are proven fact, but much of it is pure speculation. Even Darwin ultimate proclaimed that only a divine creater was the only answer to the amazing complexity of nature... and he was not even aware of DNA and how complex THAT is.

I think some religious folks cause these needless contradictions by their misinterpreting of the Bible and their being too proud to admit their mistakes or being open to different interpretations. As well some scientists deny themselves a beautiful relationship with God because they cling to unproven theories that are full of holes. Both sides can be wrong.

Answer 7

I think you should read Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman. It tells where the different books of the bible came from and some of the changes that have been made.

You are right that evolution can't be ignored. No one has all the answers, so at the end of the day you are going to have to decide what is your personal philosophy.

Examine the case for God, and also with an open mind examine the case for no God. Then make up your mind.

Answer 8

Evolution is not a belief. Genes change, and this is fact. We see microevolution on a daily basis. Speciation is merely microevolution over millions of years. The evidence for evolution is seen in all scientific fields (anthropology, biology, geology, etc), and explains the fossil record and current anatomies. Only in America do you find so many ignorant to scientific theories.

Nothing supports creation, except a large percentage of Christians who feel evolution challenges their beliefs (i.e. no rational evidence). Evolution exists; the theory of evolution (as with all scientific theories) is modified to include all the facts.

We weren't there to see it all happen, so saying that "God did it," is nothing short of purposeful ignorance. Instead, we must look at all the facts we are given and find a rational explanation.

With a little knowledge of genetics and anthropology, evolution is apparent. Darwin's theory of evolution assumed natural selection preys on Mendelian traits, even before DNA was discovered. Brilliant.

Answer 9

Here are a couple of links. In reading the two you will get a pretty good idea of the arguments and tactics used by both sides of the issue.

The first is Locke's "The Scientific Case Against Evolution" and the second is a rebuttal to that article.

Answer 10

First of all, I would just say that while they do seem to be opposing forces, there is nothing saying that Religion and evolution are mutually exclusive, so you don't necessarily have to pick one or the other. Follow whatever you believe is right, and to get more info on other religion's creation views, your best bet id their religious texts. Any other book you would read on the subject would be entirely the writer's opinion and interpretation.

Answer 11

Anonymous,

www.icr.org and www.christiananswers.net are also great resources. "Refuting Evolution" by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati is great also.

If you seek evolution resources, you will find they support evolution. However, you seem to be seeking the truth. The Bible says "all things were created" twice in Colossians 1:16, which leaves nothing left to evolve.

Most of the Earth evidence, such as its magnetic field strength, supports a fairly young earth, which spells doom for evolution.

Let me know if this helps.